Mental health and social work
Providing effective social support for people with mental health problems is a key challenge in an environment where the views of people who use services are seen as increasingly significant, where some social groups do not receive services fairly and equably, and where organisational structures are changing.
Key messages
Approximately one in six people in England experiences some form of mental health problem at any given time, with some groups more vulnerable than others.
- The traditional skills of social work remain important and social workers have a distinctive role in multi-agency settings.
- Social work needs to develop practices which help people with mental health problems identify and realise their own needs.
- Social work has a significant role to play in coordinating efforts to support individuals and groups who may often have negative experiences and perceptions of mental health services.
- Social workers need to maintain a broad social view of mental health problems especially in regard to concerns about discriminatory practices, civil rights and social justice.
- Policy makers need to focus on the role that social work plays in integrated mental health services and support further professional development